circa 1943. Color-printed flag cloth depicting bow and arrow on a red/light blue background, dimensions 75 x 120 cm. Side hem for attachment to a flagpole. Light signs of use and age, condition 2.

On November 15, 1941, Eduard Wagner, Quartermaster General at the High Command of the Army, issued an order “concerning the establishment of a military unit from prisoners of war from Turkestan and Caucasian nationalities.” According to this directive, a Turkestani regiment under the command of Oberleutnant Taube was created within the German 444th Security Division.

In May 1942, the first “Turkestani Legion” was established; it initially consisted of only a single battalion. By the end of 1943, a total of 16 battalions were formed with an aggregate strength of approximately 16,000 soldiers. The troops were integrated into the 162nd Infantry Division. In mid-June 1943, Ernst-August Köstring was appointed Inspector of the Turkestani Legion and on January 1, 1944, was promoted to General of the Eastern Legions in the High Command of the Army. To preclude possible capture by the “Red Army,” the Turkestani Legion was transferred to France and Northern Italy. In 1945, the greater part of the Legion was taken prisoner by the British Army.

According to the agreement concluded at the Yalta Conference, the members of the Legion were repatriated to the Soviet Union, where they suffered the same fate as the other so-called “Eastern peoples” who had changed sides.

404779

€ 6.500,00

Wehrmacht Flag of a Turkestani Field Battalion of the 162nd Turkestani Infantry Division

The Turkestanic Legion belonged to the so-called Eastern Legions (Ostlegionen) of the Wehrmacht, which were established during World War II from prisoners of war and volunteers of non-Russian nationalities from the Soviet Union. This flag of a Turkestanic field battalion of the 162nd Turkestanic Infantry Division represents a remarkable, albeit historically fraught, chapter of German-Soviet warfare.

On November 15, 1941, Eduard Wagner, Quartermaster General of the Army High Command, issued a pivotal order for the establishment of military units from prisoners of war of Turkestanic and Caucasian origin. This initiative was part of a comprehensive German strategy to exploit ethnic tensions within the Soviet Union and mobilize non-Russian peoples against Stalin's regime. German military authorities hoped that by integrating these troops they would gain both military reinforcement and create effective propaganda against Soviet rule.

Initially, a Turkestanic regiment was created within the German 444th Security Division under the command of Lieutenant Taube. In May 1942, the first Turkestanic Legion was formally established, initially consisting of only a single battalion. Expansion proceeded rapidly: by the end of 1943, a total of 16 battalions with an overall strength of approximately 16,000 soldiers had been formed. These troops were integrated into the 162nd Infantry Division, which developed into one of the largest Eastern Legions of the Wehrmacht.

The flag itself, with its characteristic symbols of bow and arrow on a red and light blue background, reflects the deliberate emphasis on Turkestanic national identity. The German leadership permitted these units to use their own national symbols and flags as part of their recruitment and motivation strategy. The design was intended to evoke traditional Central Asian symbols and the region's historical warrior culture, creating emotional bonds and strengthening combat morale.

In mid-June 1943, Ernst-August Köstring, an experienced officer with extensive Russia experience, was appointed Inspector of the Turkestanic Legion. On January 1, 1944, he was promoted to General of the Eastern Legions in the Army High Command, underscoring the growing organizational importance of these formations. Köstring had previously served as military attaché in Moscow and possessed detailed knowledge of Soviet conditions and various nationalities.

With the advance of the Red Army from 1943/44, the German leadership recognized the extreme risk these units faced in case of capture by Soviet troops. To avoid this, the Turkestanic Legion was transferred to France and Northern Italy. There, the troops were primarily used for occupation and security tasks as well as anti-partisan operations. This relocation initially meant a certain safety from Soviet retribution for the soldiers, though it would prove only temporary.

The war's end in 1945 sealed the legion's tragic fate. The majority was captured by the British Army. According to the agreements reached at the Yalta Conference in February 1945 between the Allies, Soviet citizens who had served in German forces were to be repatriated to the Soviet Union. This repatriation often occurred against the express will of those affected, who knew the fate that awaited them.

In the Soviet Union, the repatriated members of the Turkestanic Legion suffered the same harsh fate as other so-called “Eastern peoples” who had switched sides. They were regarded as traitors and sentenced to long terms in labor camps or executed. Stalin showed no mercy toward Soviet citizens who had collaborated with the Germans, regardless of the circumstances of their recruitment.

This flag thus bears witness to a complex historical phenomenon: the instrumentalization of ethnic minorities by Nazi Germany, the desperate hope of many Turkestanis for national self-determination, and the ultimately tragic consequences of this collaboration. It documents a dark chapter in both German and Soviet history and commemorates the fate of thousands of men who were crushed between the fronts of total war.